1. Technical Field
The present patent document relates generally electronic music instruments and controllers, and more particularly to an improved electronic keyboard instrument, called a “keytar”.
2. Background of the Related Art
The “keytar” is a musical instrument with a piano-style keyboard that is worn with a strap like a guitar. It can have a built-in sound generator, or merely be a controller for an external sound generator.
The keytar is a relatively obscure but still established music instrument. A history of it can be found on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki./Keytar.
Although keytars have all the versatility of a synthesizer, many musicians find using a keyboard to generate other types of sounds awkward. Because the keyboard keys abut one another, it is easy to strike multiple or the incorrect key. So, for instance, if a musician desires to play percussive sound using the keyboard keys, using a slap-style of play similar to a bass player is impractical.
Also, many keyboards include function controls, like a pitch-bend control, to apply effects to the sound of the keyboard. However, these controls require the use of two hands to operate the controls. Keytars suffer a disadvantage to typical synthesizer keyboard because keytars are played with one hand, like a guitar is strummed. Although the musician's second hand is free to operate other functions controls, many musicians find this arrangement awkward at best.
Therefore, there is a perceived need in the industry for an improved keytar that provides the ability to generate a wider range of sounds and provide better easier controls to operate the keyboard functions, which can lead to better showmanship for stage acts.